Welcome to students,

Step 1 accomplished - you found my site.  This site contains all the forms, assignments, web links, and anything else I could think of to guide you through the projects I assign this year.  I hope these project will offer you a chance to learn biology in a more exciting and real way.  Please let yourself run with these projects.  In every case, there is room for deep exploration of your component to the project.  Please click on the project we are currently studying and follow the instructions from class.  

 

Make it good,

Mr. De Santo

 

 

 

Fellow Teachers Welcome,

I planned this site to be a resource for my students and fellow teachers interested in adding problem-based and project-based units into high school biology curricula.  I am a firm believer that problem-based and project-based units are an effective way to differentiate instruction and allow deep practice with content.  The projects below were designed to offer both direct instruction to develop skills in note taking, studying, text book use, etc. and problem- based and project-based instruction to allow students deep practice in the content and a chance to run with the material as far as their time and effort will take them.  The biology projects were developed with the idea that, in today’s world, students must develop the skills to research medical and environmental issues affecting their families.

 

In the interest of clarity, my definitions of problem-based and project based lessons are as follows.  There may be more precise definitions in education literature, but these represent my current understanding.

 

Problem-based lessons - present the student with real word scenarios or problems that relate to the material          we are studying in class.  These have distinct correct answers that the students can find in the lectures, text, and other assignments.

 

Project-based lessons - present the student with messy, unclear issues and have no definite correct answers.  These units ask students to wrestle with the concepts and come up with ways to justify whatever answer they believe is appropriate.  

 

These units include elements of both systems.  For example, given a patient, students are often asked to identify the disease and specific body, tissue, or cell parts affected (problem-based instruction) and develop  and present a research plan or treatment plan (project-based instruction).  I developed them using models I found on other schools’ websites (cited where appropriate) and organizing tools my school learned through a generous grant from Oracle.  

 

Please feel free to use and modify anything you see on this site.  If you have questions, feel free to email me at any time.  If you have improvements, I would love to hear your ideas.

 

Enjoy,

Eric De Santo